BAAA

Sermon  •  Submitted
0 ratings
· 16 views
Notes
Transcript

Chaos of the World Vs. Christ’s Compassion.

Kindred, “Final Assignment”
Kindred, A.S. 2021. Final Assignment. South African Theological Seminary, Johannesburg With this composition I will be preaching an expositional message based out of Matthew 9:35-38. I will follow an outline, and preparation procedures as outlined in the Homiletics course material, at the South African Theological Seminary. The exposition will include a title, introduction, body, and conclusion. I will seek to focus on a few key elements that aid in delivery of the message such as content and effectiveness, sermon rationale, structure, supporting material, and practical illustrations so that the audience is engaged, and prepared to encounter the power of God’s Holy Word. This message will be preached live via YouTube, at the West Buxton Baptist Church, in West Buxton, Maine on July 18th, 2021, at 6PM. The following is a word-for-word manuscript of my sermon.
Introduction
In the last decade, our culture seems motivated more and more by fear. We see divisions growing deeper and many are growing tired of the fight. Paul's definition of a people turning away from God could easily be applied to this county. How should we, as a church, respond? Christ gives us four examples when among the lost and devastated. I have entitled this message "BAAA". You will find our text in the book of Matthew, chapter nine, verse thirty-five. Let’s read the text together.
“Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:35-38).
(Prayer)
Read verse 35A
Be Ready to Mobilize
Throughout this portion of scripture, Matthew is giving his account of the life and ministry of Christ. Leading up to this point, the Messiah had been traveling throughout Galilee teaching, preaching, and healing as He saw the need (Matthew 4:23-25). From Galilee (Matthew 4:25), he continued from Galilee to Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan. To Jesus, traveling was part of what it took to do outreach. In verse 35 of Matthew 9, we see that Christ was willing to go into all the cities and villages in the area to teach, preach, and heal. This takes much dedication, time, and effort. Mark 6:56 adds to Matthew’s account regarding how every time Jesus entered a village or city, people gathered to Jesus and begged to be healed. Luke 13:22 states that He continued His journey, visiting cities and towns as He made His way towards Jerusalem. The Gospels are filled with examples of how often Christ made it His priority while on a journey to get in touch and in front of the people to love them, and answer the mysterious question “Who do you say that I am”? (Matthew 16:15).
Church, on your journey this week, are you prepared to go off the beaten trail and mobilize yourself? Are you preparing yourself to be redirected, and held up along your route,willing to give an account of who God is?
After we become mobile we must:
Read verse 35B
Accept Gospel Opportunities
Additionally, Christ not only was with the people, but He took the time to teach and preach to them while also taking care of some physical needs they have. This is not the first time we see in Scripture where Christ did this within the various cities He stopped at (Matthew 4:23). Notice in verse 35, that the word “every” is used twice to describe to what extent our Savior healed the people. The original Greek word, “pasa”, describes the element of totality, complete, and whole. Every single physical need was addressed. Think with me, to teach, one must know the material. To preach, one must prepare, and to heal, much time must be allocated. Between the dialogue, the conversations, questions, and replies, Christ made it a priority to accept the Gospel opportunities.
Church, first are you ready to mobilize to different locations for the sake of the Gospel? Second, are you accepting “every” Gospel opportunity no matter how long it keeps you from where you had intended to go originally?
Read verse 36
Once we become mobile, and accept the gospel opportunity, we must do so by:
Acting with Compassion
Have you ever passed a construction crew that just does not seem to be organized? Have you ever seen a flagman who was directing traffic, not aware of the fact that the other flagger let traffic go, and now both directions are heading head-on towards each other? There tends to be much confusion during moments like this. People start driving off where no road was ever intended to be. People start panicking uncontrollably, but if they simply realized they could just use their brakes and stop to observe, nothing would happen. Throughout our lives, we will witness great confusion, disjointedness, and what seems to be blurred vision.
In verse 36, Jesus sees this multitude gathering around Him. He sees how strewn (scattered/ harassed, beaten, and weary) they are. The Messiah experiences an overwhelming amount of compassion for them in their disarray and chaos. I must imagine that after traveling so much, Jesus was tired Himself, but He still answers the need for a ministry of presence. After the message, He did not slip out the back door or wait in His office until it was time for Him to speak. No! He was present!
In 1 Kings 22, Micaiah who was a prophet and disciple of Elijah was known for his integrity. In this portion of Scripture, he was before king Jehoshaphat and he explained that he saw Israel scattered on the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd” (1 Kings 22:17).
Ezekiel prophesied a great warning to the shepherds of Israel. “So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and on every high hill; yes, my flock was scattered over the whole face of the earth, and no one was seeking or searching for them”- (Ezekiel 34:5-6).
This same issue occurred in the prophecy of Zechariah.
For the idols speak delusion; the diviners envision lies and tell false dreams; they comfort in vain. Therefore, the people wend (specified direction typically slow or indirectly) their way like sheep; they are in trouble because there is no shepherd” (Zechariah 10:2).
Christ recognizes what is lacking here, and it is a minister of the Gospel who has compassion pressed on their heart for the people who are “wending” throughout their ways.
William McDonald in his commentary, Believers Bible Commentary, expresses this; “Oh, that we might know more of that yearning for the spiritual welfare of the lost and dying. How we need to pray constantly:
Let me look on the crowd, as my Savior did, till my eyes with tears grow dim; Let me view with pity the wandering sheep and love them for love of Him” (McDonald, 1995:1152).
Believer, are you prepared to mobilize? Are you accepting Gospel opportunities and doing them? Thirdly, are you acting with compassion? Does it bother you to see people disoriented when it comes to direction and a path? Does this feeling go beyond the annual video we see on Compassion Sunday? Is there a yearning in your heart to do something for their sake? As one preacher explained, we are to see the need and feel the need. The Greek word for “compassion” means to be moved with pity; we understand the Latin meaning of this word; “to suffer with” (Lorritz, 2015). People will get devoured by the world, and its system when they are scattered. We must have compassion on them and have a desire to reach them, so they encounter our God and regain or gain traction and direction. If we are not experiencing compassion we have a heart problem.
Read verse 37-38
After doing these three steps, we must pray for those we have invested into, and pray for others to come and help! We must:
Appeal in Prayer
In the book of Numbers where Joshua becomes the next leader of Israel. We see here that Moses is in discussion with the Lord regarding a man being set over the congregation (Israel) (Numbers 27:17). Here Moses makes the plea that they cannot afford the nation of Israel to become like sheep without a Shepherd. A nation without a leader who would be following God. In verse 37 Matthew continues by stating explained what Jesus said to the disciples when they all saw what was occurring, that there is a lot of mobilizing, accepting, and acting to be done but there are few who are doing it (Matthew 9:37). It should not surprise us to see the connection in John 4:35 and Luke 10:2 where both John and Luke confirm the fact that Christ said this. Jesus is not finished with His discussion here though. He challenges them to be devoted to prayer that more laborers come to the harvest (Matthew 9:38).
In Matthew 28 the disciples went back to Galilee, and some had worshiped while others doubted (Matthew 28:16). Jesus had a solution to the insufficient number of laborers who would be dedicated to mobilizing, accepting, acting, and appealing.
All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo I am with you always (Chief Shepherd), even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20).
Did you know that the original state of Maine slogan, under the reign of George Washington originally was “An appeal to heaven”? This slogan could have been seen on the original state of Maine flag. “The Pine Tree Flag, featuring a pine tree with the motto “An Appeal to Heaven” or sometimes “An Appeal to God” was used originally by a squadron of six cruiser ships commissioned under George Washington’s authority as commander in chief of the Continental Army in October 1775” (Miller, 2019). This motto was used repeatedly throughout the history of the United States of America, including the second continental congress in the declaration of independence (Miller, 2019).
Child of God, are you appealing to God in prayer for there to be more laborers to enter Christ’s harvest field, so that more may see a need to mobilize, accept the Gospel opportunities, act with compassion, and in return appeal in prayer for there to be more disciples of Christ to fulfill the great commission? Pray for people to be called; just because there is a need, it does not constitute a call. Laborers should not go until they are sent (McDonald, 1995).
We must realize we carry and hold the message of Christ, the One full of compassion, love, grace, and mercy; and we have a responsibility to share it with the World.
Conclusion
As a church, we are seeing this happen in very practical ways. Even the youth of our church are willing to mobilize, pack the cars, and go to a rural place to tell people of the great news. We are seeing members of our church consistently wait and watch for opportunities where they can present the gospel, and they are accepting those opportunities no matter the cost. We hear of testimonies of members of the household of faith who have broken hearts over the lost and are experiencing the element of compassion on people who do not deserve the time and energy. Many of us have served at various Bible camps this summer, we've seen devastation, weariness, and worry on children’s faces. See the confusion, do we experience the compassion? We have a ladies' prayer group that appeals to heaven in prayer. While these teens have Been mobile, accepted the Gospel opportunities, and have acted in compassion, although not with them, some ave appealed in prayer for the week and beyond that this only continues to be our daily theme. Our pastor has testified multiple times over the years, that this prayer group prayed for laborers. God has answered that prayer; let us not drop the ball! We are to imitate Him! This week, Be prepared to mobilize. Accept Gospel Opportunities. Act with compassion. An appeal in prayer. We have the Chief Shepherd to follow and lead those who are walking to and fro indirectly around us. Here we see the worlds chaos and confusion, verse Christ’s compassion. Let’s read the text one last time.
“Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. 36 But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. 37 Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 38 Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Matthew 9:35-38).
So, tonight you may be a little tired yourself, looking forward to pack it up for the evening. Along your route this week, there will be people in your neighborhood, and your travels, that need you to: Be mobile, Accept the gospel opportunities. They need you to act in compassion and have a heart that breaks for what Breaks Christ’s. We need to appeal in prayer for this cycle to continue. Get out in your circles and communities this week and share that you have a Chief Shepherd who desires to direct, lead, and guide them too. BAAA!

Works Cited

Lorritz, B. (2015, June 1). Bryan Loritts | Matthew 9:35-38: Becoming Instruments of God's Care. Chicago, Illinois. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3hJdfx1ODg
McDonald, W. (1995). Believer's Bible Commentary. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Miller, C. (2019, April 4). Representative Chris Miller. Retrieved from https://repcmiller.com/2019/04/04/george-washington-appeal-to-heaven-flag-helps-focus-attention-on-national-day-of-prayer-on-may-2nd/
Thomas Nelson Inc. (2013). The Holy Bible: NKJV. Nashville: Cambridge.
Related Media
See more
Related Sermons
See more